What inspired you to write your memoir?
Someone once told me that when something really bad happens, you should try to see if anything good can come of it, even if it's a small thing. That was my goal when I wrote Chasing Stones. I shared our story in hopes that it might help somebody else handle their own ordeals in some way, or even just give them the comfort of knowing they aren't alone.
About your Book:
Their paths first crossed when she was just a child, and years later they came together to build a marriage that lasted until the day he died. That day wasn’t as far in the future as they’d thought though. When a doctor’s negligence costs Alan his life, Michele struggles to find her way against a lifelong panic disorder, newfound poverty, and the pain of living without the only man she ever truly loved.
How did you decide how to publish your book and where is it published through:
I'd gone the self publishing route before with other titles, so it never really occurred to me to do anything else with Chasing Stones. It's currently available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple iBooks, and a variety of other online retailers.
How do you see writing a Memoir as different from writing other genres of books?
I think it's much more difficult, for more than one reason. For one, memoir writers aren't offering readers a story from their imagination or a neatly-arranged collection of facts; they're offering a look at the real person behind the pen, flaws and all. Sometimes it's difficult to beat down the internal censors enough to do that, but it has to be done.
There's also the issue of getting stuck at certain points in the story, which I did several times. Unlike fiction, where you can make up something new to move the story along, you have to dig inside yourself and relive the situation in order to remember and write the truth. And then, if your memoir isn't a happy one, you have to work hard to find the balance between expressing the feelings in a meaningful way and sounding whiny. I really hope I found that balance (lol).
Author Bio:
Michele Stevens has been a ghost writer, a book editor, a writing mentor, and a home school teacher. Though born in the heart of Indianapolis, Indiana, she now lives on a quiet road in central Florida. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading or hopelessly stuck on YouTube, watching her favorite bands in concert.
Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble
Link to Book on iTunes
